Positively-charged plasmonic nanostructures for SERS sensing applications

Surface-enhanced Raman (SERS) spectroscopy has been establishing itself as an ultrasensitive analytical technique with a cross-disciplinary range of applications, which scientific growth is triggered by the continuous improvement in the design of advanced plasmonic materials with enhanced multifunctional abilities and tailorable surface chemistry. In this regard, conventional synthetic procedures yield negatively-charged plasmonic materials which can hamper the adhesion of negatively-charged species. To tackle this issue, metallic surfaces have been modified via diverse procedures with a broad array of surface ligands to impart positive charges. Cationic amines have been preferred because of their ability to retain a positive zeta potential even at alkaline pH as well as due to their wide accessibility in terms of structural features and cost. In this review, we will describe and discuss the different approaches for generating positively-charged plasmonic platforms and their applications in SERS sensing.